tabla

American

[tah-bluh, tuhb-luh] / ˈtɑ blə, ˈtʌb lə /

noun

a small drum or pair of drums of India tuned to different pitches and played with the hands.

tabla British

/ ˈtɑːblɑː, ˈtʌblə /

noun

a musical instrument of India consisting of a pair of drums whose pitches can be varied

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of tabla

1860–65; earlier tubla < Hindi tablā < Arabic ṭabla, derivative of ṭabl drum

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

tabla

The saxophonist highlights previously unreleased recordings of his trio with tabla master Zakir Hussain, who died in 2024, and drummer Eric Harland on an album of marvelous musical interplay.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

In December 2024, Mr. Lloyd lost another treasured collaborator, Zakir Hussain—his generation’s acknowledged master of tabla, the paired hand drums that are elemental to Indian music.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

Classical training came early - he learnt tabla alongside vocal training - but so did exposure to popular music.

From BBC ● Jan. 28, 2026

Even so, Hussain became a tabla master of all trades.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 12, 2025

The tabla player followed the notes of the sitar like a shadow.

From "Homeless Bird" by Gloria Whelan

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023